Friday, December 21, 2012

Let the Slumber Party Begin

If you weren’t paying attention, winter began at 6:12 AM. So here we go, into the sleepy days of our gardens that shall not awaken closer to spring. But where oh where might one find winter interest as the slumber party begins? Consider planting Ilex opaca commonly known as American Holly. You can dabble with Ilex verticillata, Winterberry holly if you have moist organic soil. If you need another colorful choice for the winter landscape, plant one of the red-twig colored Dogwood varieties like ‘Winterflame’, ‘Bailey’ or ‘Cardinal’. But if you are itching to see an early bloom, plant a variety of Witchazel, for instance Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'. With so few days left until Christmas, there may be little time to think about our garden. As this unknown author reminds us, “I'm not a morning person, but on December 25th, it's a totally different story.”